Fitting finish for Cougars seniors

PULLMAN – It took Washington State’s group of seniors a while to understand this University of Washington rivalry thing.

But like everything else during their four years in the Palouse, once they figured it out, they’ve become pretty good at it.

When Robbie Cowgill who – along with Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low, Chris Henry and Jeremy Cross – will play his final game on Friel Court today, was a freshman, he was sitting on the bench with fellow frosh Daven Harmeling.

Harmeling, who took a medical redshirt year as a sophomore, turned to Cowgill and asked, “How long is it going to be before we hate U-Dub?”

Not long, according to both.

But the depth of feeling on the institutional level doesn’t translate into a dislike of the UW players.

“Honestly, though, their players are good guys and we respect their players a lot,” Harmeling said this week. “There’s no bad blood between us, but it’s just what their jersey says and what our jersey says on it. That’s all it comes down to.”

“I like the guys and respect them and I respect Coach (Lorenzo) Romar,” Cowgill added. “Still, because we respect them doesn’t make the rivalry any less intense.”

That was another aspect of their college education the seniors discovered.

Knowing about the rivalry was one thing; playing in it was another.

“There’s a difference between watching it and actually being in the game, competing against them,” Low said. “That’s just a little more up there.”

The last six games, the 23rd-ranked Cougars (22-7 overall, 10-7 and tied with USC for third in the Pac-10) have played “just a little more up there,” than the Huskies.

For only the second time in the 264 meetings with the Huskies, WSU has won six consecutive series games. But ask the guys responsible why, and they don’t know for sure.

“There’s nothing magical to it,” Cowgill said. “For the most part they’ve been pretty good games, especially at their place. They’re always pretty tough-fought.

“It’s not like we’ve figured UW out or have this magical formula that’s made us successful against them.”

But there is one constant. The Washington State guards always seem to come to the fore against the Huskies (16-14, 7-10).

Seniors Weaver, Low and junior Taylor Rochestie all average in double figures in the series.

For Low and Weaver at least, that includes their freshman year when UW swept the Cougs.

Since then, however, WSU has tightened down the defense, yielding an average of less than 60 points in each of the six consecutive wins.

Low has an idea where that starts.

“They have some talented guards, but Kyle Weaver does a great job in guarding (Ryan) Appleby, who is their main outside shooting threat,” Low said.

“When Kyle takes that away from them, it’s kind of hard for them to get going, because their other threat is Jon Brockman on the inside. If we can take away the outside, and then just try to contain Jon, it makes it all the more easier.”

“One of the biggest factors playing those guys is being able to limit (Appleby’s) shots, because he’s like their sparkplug,” Weaver said. “When he gets hot and he’s feeling it, he’ll shoot it from anywhere.”

Appleby, a senior averaging 11.3 points per game, has attempted 173 3-pointers, more than double the next UW player. He’s made 39.9 percent of them.

However, it’s the consensus All-Pac-10 pick Brockman who paces the Huskies’ attack on offense (17.6 points per game) and defense (11.6 rebounds).

No matter how big the rivalry, it will take a back seat today to the seniors who are leaving.

The seniors have led WSU to 48 wins the past two years. They are almost certain to appear in back-to-back NCAA tournaments. And though they came from all over the country, they have fit into the Pullman scene seamlessly.

“Where the program was when these guys came in, and where they will leave it, and the significant part they’ve played in turning it around, makes it special,” said WSU coach Tony Bennett. “Most of the crowd has seen these guys grow up and there’s a special attachment.

“I think people identify with them because they aren’t these superstar athletes … they’ve had to fight and scrap for every bit of success they’ve had. … People in Pullman and Washington State identify with that.”

The archrival Huskies are the only thing standing between those seniors and a perfect sendoff.

“I think it’s kind of fitting,” Cowgill said. “It’s a rivalry game that just kind of adds to the intensity. But who knows? Maybe Senior Night is as much as we can take. … But I think it’s pretty cool, that it gets to be the Husky game with the added intensity of that then, on top of that, it’s Senior Night.”

Then he summarized the feelings all the seniors will be going through.

“I want to be focused on the game,” Cowgill said. “I don’t want anything to detract from that, but I know myself, I might get caught up in (the emotion) a little bit before the game. I might lose it a little bit.”